Volvo 242. 1974 - 1984
History of the Volvo Car
In August 1974, Volvo presented a new generation of cars called the 240 and 260 Series.
These new models had been developed from the 140 series and were very similar to their predecessors. The changes included a new front, large bumpers and a developed chassis, featuring a front-wheel suspension system of the McPherson type. At the same time, a new 4-cylinder engine series with an overhead camshaft began to be used. The previous 4-cylinder was still used for a time.
Two-door cars were still very much in demand, particularly on the Nordic markets, and it was therefore only natural to include a 2-door in the programme. However, as the trend was moving towards 4-door cars, the 242 was taken out of production long before the 244 and 245.
Over the years, the Volvo 242 was produced with many different engines and gearboxes.
|Body style:||2-door saloon|
|Engine:||4-cylinder, in-line OHV, 4-cylinder, in-line OHC, 4-cylinder, in-line OHC with turbocharging.|
|Transmission:||4-speed manual or 4-speed with el. overdrive, with floor-mounted gear lever. 3-speed automatic.|
|Brakes:||Hydraulic, disc brakes on all four wheels.|
|Dimensions:||Overall length 490 cm/198", wheelbase 264 cm/104".|
|Miscellaneous:||In 1985, the Volvo 242 won the European Touring Car Championship.|